The Low Down On 3D Printed Firearms

In this episode we discuss all of the legalities of printing 3D Printed firearms.

saf.org

subscribe to my newsletter

Follow this link and get $25 in ammo.

Fountain Podcast App
Follow me on Fountain


Follow twitter @JeffDowdle
Follow me on Truth Social - @JeffDowdle

Convention of States Project
Presearch search engine sign up.
Brave Browser

Find our Representative
email me at jeff@livetoshoot.com

Transcript

0:15

Well, welcome to the Live to Shoot podcast. My name is Jeff Doddle and I've been a licensed firearm dealer for the last 18 years. In this podcast, we talk about all things related to the amendment, as well as anything else going in the world sports story or anything else I might find interesting. So welcome, welcome, welcome. So first I wanna apologize for the audio In my last podcast I guess it was worse than I even thought it was gonna be from people when they actually tried to play it on their podcast players and such. And so I apologize. I was. You know, in a rush trying to get it out because I was taking a trip to Florida and wanted to get something out before we left, but I guess it did not go as planned. So anyway, I apologize for that. But I did go to Florida and had a great time in Florida seeing family and we, I attended my great niece's kindergarten graduation, had a great time. And while I was there, I did get to see a, a 3D printer you know, a personal one, not a commercial one, but got to me thinking about, you know, 3D printed guns and the fact that we hadn't really talked about'em here, the, those, so evil quote unquote ghost guns. So I thought I'd go ahead and sit down and kind of go over, you know, what it is about all these 3D printed. So let's, first, let's get to the basics. What is a 3D print gun? It's exactly what it sounds like. It's a firearm or parts of one at least made using a 3D printer. And if you haven't ever seen a 3D printer, it's. Essentially it prints using a plastic type filament based on a design, a three dimensional design, and it layers that filament back and forth over again until it actually constructs a 3D object of whatever it is that you di design. And in this case, it may be an upper or lower receiver for a particular firearm. So. And it was back in about 2013, a guy who named Cody Wilson. He dropped the, the liberator. It was the first fully 3D printed pistol that fired a single three 80 round. And you know, it sent the anti-guns in tailspin that, you know, that, that they were like, what is this all gonna be about? And since then, things have only gotten, have gotten better now. I know some of you're thinking, you know, are these legal? Well, it's a great question, and here's the good news. At least at the federal level, it is absolutely legal to make your own 3D printed firearm for personal use. As long as you're not a prohibited person, you know, one of those felons, domestic abusers, or anyone else in the law that, that the loss that can't own a gun. The Gun Control Act of 1968 says that you can build your own firearms, no license needed, as long as they're for personal use and meant for, you know. Meet basic requirements. For example, the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 mandates that firearms must have enough metal to be picked up by a detector. So toss in a metal plate or use a metal barrel or something like that, and you're good to go. No serial number, no registration, no A TF knocking on your door. At least not yet. Now, don't get me wrong, the feds aren't exactly throwing a parade for these 3D printed guns. The A T F's been sniffing around since 2002, and they rolled out a rule that tries to treat 3D printed guns and gun kits like a regular firearm. That means if you're a licensed dealer or a gunsmith, any 3D printed gun you make or receive must have a serial number and you've gotta run that background check on the buyers. But for law abiding citizens, thinking about. You know, tinkering around in your garage, you're still clear for now, and hopefully with this current administration it'll stay that way, but. Where it gets tricky is in the States. So while the federal government respects your rights to build your own tools for liberty there's at least 14 states out there that have jumped on the anti 3D printed gun bandwagon with their own regulations. So let, let's just look at a few. First off, you know, our favorite California, you can make a pretty a 3D print gun, but you've gotta, it's gotta have a serial number and you need to register it with the state. They're also cracking down untakeable firearms. So no, all plastic builds. New Jersey they've got some of the toughest. It's illegal to make possessed or distributed firearm that's mostly plastic or undetectable by metal detectors. They're aiming straight at 3D printed guns. New York, similar deal. You need serial numbers and they're pushing hard to ban untraceable firearms Massachusetts and Rhode Island both have laws requiring serial numbers and background checks for 3D printing. Parts Rhode Island, flat out bans, printing 3D guns without a license. Then you got your other usual suspects, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon. These states have lost targeting untraceable firearms, including 3D printing ones. Washington makes it illegal to manufacturer possess them without proper licensing. On the flip side, states like Texas, Arizona, Florida, where I was and Virginia are holding a line for freedom in these places. As long as you are following the federal law, you can print your own firearms without any extra hoops. Virginia's got a law banning plastic firearms with less than 3.7 ounces of detectable metal, but that's easy to work around. So. Now let's talk about selling these bad boys. If you're thinking about printing a bunch of AR 15 lowers and setting up shop, hold your horses, federal losses. If you're engaged in the business of manufacturing firearms, you have to have a federal firearms license. That means serial numbers, background checks, and a TF paperwork. If you're just, gifting A 3D printing gun to your buddy or keeping it for yourself, you're fine. No license needed. But the second you start selling, you're playing in the A TF stand box. And trust me, they can be watching. So speaking of the AT tf, let's get to the current legal bottles. Anti-gun crowds has been trying to choke out 3D printing guns since Cody Wilson posted the liberator of blueprints online back in 2008, the State Department tried to shut down claiming the file. The files violated his arms. Export laws. Wilson fought back saying it was a first minute issue, sharing blueprints as free speech, not gun trafficking. He won that round, but the fight's far from over. Right now the biggest battle is over ATFs 2022, rule on ghost guns. Gun rights groups like the Second Amendment Foundation are suing, arguing the ATFs, overstepping its authority by reclassifying gun frames and receivers as firearms in 2023. The Supreme Court upheld the a s rule in a five four decision, but the case is still bouncing around in lower courts. This is a big one. If the A TF wins, it could mean more red tape or building your own 3D printed guns. But again, we're hoping that this new administration and new DOJ quits pursuing that or backs off of it entirely. Then there's 3D printed Gun Safety Act pushed by Senator Gillibrand in 2023. This bill would ban sharing 3D print gun PUE prints online, period. So direct, that's the direct tax on second free speech and the second amendment, but it's still floating around Congress. So. Here's the thing, Patriots, the Second Amendment isn't just about hunting and shooting. It's about the right to defend yourself, your family, and your freedom. 3G printed guns are the ultimate expression of that a, a way for the little guy to, to level the playing field without begging for permission. And the his bureaucrats. Now, you know why? Why all the ghost gun issues, right? I mean, so the left is afraid that the bad guys out there are gonna go print their own 3D printed guns. And so they won't be traceable and the bad guys can get'em and they don't have to do'em. And and they'll be able to use them well, you know. Put yourself in the bad guy's shoes. What is cheaper? Stealing a firearm or going out and buying a 3D printer. The filament, getting the prints and, you know, spending hours building up, you know, a, a receiver and then you still have to buy all the other parts to make that a gun. And if you're gonna find some guy that's gonna try and, you know, build these, illegally and sell'em illegally to, to quote unquote criminals. The bad guys, well, he's gonna price them, you know, to where they're not, you know affordable for the bad guys because he's got an investment and, and it takes his time and money. You know, these, this is not a quick process to print out a 3D firearm. It, it takes hours to do it. So you're not gonna be pumping out a bunch of them unless you. Build up a full manufacturing facility, and then again, why would you waste your time trying to sell'em to bad guys, right? So, you know, it's a lot of you know, worry over nothing because the bad guys just, you know, the left is always worried about trying to keep the bad guys from doing things that the, the not only law abiding citizens are gonna do because the bad guys have their own processes, so. That's kind of a rundown on 3D printed firearms. They're legal at the federal level for personal use, but you've gotta watch for your state laws, especially in California and New Jersey. Film them requires an FFL. But before we wrap up, I wanna hear from you. Have you printed a firearm? You know, what's your take on it? Where'd you get your plans? I'd like to hear more about it'cause I've gotten interested in it after seeing, seeing the the one that I got to see and understanding, you know, what, what's the process like. It might be, it might be something I might even try and take up. But, you know, being a dealer and all that kind of complicates things. But anyway, lemme know if you've got questions about 3D printed firearms. Until next time, keep your powder dry. Air aim true, and your rights non-negotiable. This is Jeff signing off for the Live to Shoot podcast. Thank you and have a great day.